Mark your calendars for MOA's first Farm Tour of the season, Saturday, June 29, 2013, at 1 PM, in the Bozeman area. Find out more here.


MOA Launches GMO Page
Read commentary from MOA board member, Casey Bailey, and learn the latest about GMOs by visiting MOA's new GMO page here.

Explore the links and resources on the GMO page to learn more about GMOs and the latest efforts to eradicate them. You can also join in the conversation by sending in your comments and links. Bookmark this new GMO page and visit often for updates.

MOA Member Benefit and Ag Safety Webpage
Montana Organic Association is now a member of the Montana’s Ag Safety Program and MOA members (farmers & ranchers) are eligible to receive a 4% discount on their State Fund premium. Find out how to make your workplace safe and apply for the discount by visiting our new Ag Safety webpage here.



Check out our Facebook page here.


MOA Online Directory Webpage
Check out our online organic business Directory on the menu bar on the left. Get your farm, business or organization listed in the Directory by becoming a member here.



CURRENT NEWS HGHILIGHTS

Support Senator Tester's Farm Bill amendment to improve seed choices for farmers, by Kristina Hubbard, Organic Seed Alliance, May 20, 2013.

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Unveils Vision for U.S. Organic Agriculture, Announces Organic Crop Insurance, Other Measure, USDA, May 14, 2013.

The National Organic Program (NOP) announced the availability of draft guidance on Classification of Materials (NOP 5033) and Materials for Organic Crop Production (NOP 5034). The NOP will be accepting public comments on these materials until June 3, 2013. 

Conservation Stewardship Program Applications Due by May 31, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, May 5, 2013.

The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) now offers microloans up to $35,000 for beginning, niche and small farmers. More here.

Good Earth Market in Billings has put a map together of 54 of the over 100 local producers from Montana and northern Wyoming who they purchase from every day. You can download the map here.

Tell your Senators and Representatives to Co-sponsor the Federal GE Food Labeling Bill. More info here and sign the petition through the Institute for Responsible Technology. Posted April 22, 2013.

March Against Monsanto, April 25, 2013, 2 PM EST, Held Everywhere
Montana Locations in Bozeman, Helena, and Kalispell
For more information, visit here. Contact: Hidy Wendell (406) 438 6321

A list of important dates for 2013 - 2014 can be read here.

Read Barry Flamm's NOSB Wrap Up article, Five Years at NOSB here.

Organic crop insurance premiums reduced, by Steve Brown, Capital Press, March 5, 2013.

Get involved! Get the contact list for your Montana Representatives here.

Seeking large quantities of organic nuts, fruits, vegetables, grains, cereals, trail mixes, herbs and spices, by Mike Adams, NaturalNews.com, December 14, 2012.




NEW RESOURCES

Organic Control of Perennial Weeds with Vinegar and Biologicals, SARE research report, coordinated by Jess Alger, posted April 22, 2013.

The USDA Risk Management Agency has published several reports on Organic Crops, including the Organic Crop Insurance Fact Sheet. These reports can be found here. Posted April 22, 2013.

The National Organic Program Handbook provides those who own, manage, or certify organic operations with guidance and instructions that can assist them in complying with the USDA organic regulations. Posted March 1, 2013.

Farm Journal's Legacy Project graciously offers a free online Farm Succession Workbook here. Posted January 28, 2013.

DriftWatch is an online tool to help protect pesticide-sensitive crops and habitats from the drift that sometimes occurs during spray operations. Visit www.driftwatch.org. Posted January 28, 2013.

Farmers’ Legal Action Group (FLAG) has released a comprehensive and much-anticipated publication, the Farmers’ Guide to Organic Contracts, written to help farmers make informed decisions at every stage of the contract relationship (available for free download at www.flaginc.org).

Read the Organic Growers Association's stewardship article, Compost Matters, here.

OSA Publishes Participatory Plant Breeding Toolkit, by Cathleen McCluskey, posted June 9, 2012.

Organic Seed Alliance has created new multi-media seed production tutorials for beets
and chard, brassicas, carrots, lettuce, onions, and wet seeded crops, along with tutorials
on seed climatic considerations, seed disease and seed quality. To access the tutorials, visit http://campus.extension.org/course/view.php?id=377. Posted July 2, 2011.

Download the Cornucopia Institute's Cereal Crimes Report here. (Download is 4.5 MB).

Organic Seed Alliance Publishes State of Organic Seed, that serves as the first comprehensive analysis of the challenges and opportunities in building the organic seed sector. Free download at www.seedalliance.org. Posted March 31, 2011.



VIDEOS

What's So Special About Organic Seed?, by Gail Nickel-Kailing, Good Food World, February 21, 2013.
Food Mythbusters' Movies: The real story about what we eat. Posted February 27, 2013.
Non-GMOs after Prop 37 with Jeffrey Smith, via GaiamTV.com, November 23, 2012.
Eight videos from Institute for Responsible Technology newsletter, Nov. 1, 2012.
View groundbreaking documentary, Genetic Roulette, for free until Nov. 6, Institute for Responsible Technology, September 15, 2012.
Watch the trailer to Jeffrey M. Smith’s groundbreaking new feature length documentary, Genetic Roulette - The Gamble of Our Lives, narrated by Lisa Oz. Institute for Responsible Technology, August 8, 2012.
Four food documentaries everybody should watch, by John McKiernan, NaturalNews.com, May 16, 2012.
Food Matters, You Are What You Eat. Watch the first 40 minutes free.
The Video Collection from NutritionFacts.org offers hundreds of videos with the latest in nutrition research.
GMOs failing across America - Farmer to Farmer film reveals disastrous failure by PF Louis, posted Sept 19, 2011. The mainstream media reports almost nothing about the downside of GMO farming. Only the propaganda of creating more agricultural abundance cheaply is broadcasted. A short video documentary "Farmer to Farmer: The Truth about GM Crops" offers a glimpse into the undisclosed downside reality of GMO farming.
The best new online videos you'll want to check out: Define Better, FLOW, Awakening and more, NaturalNews.com, posted Sept 19, 2011.
OCA's Thalia Kazakos offers another great video on how and why anti-GMO activists should organize local activists and dump GMO-tainted products in front of natural food stores, posted May 26, 2011.
Nourishing the Planet TV: Empowering Women to Feed Communities, posted February 9, 2011.
Herb Sand's Organic Farm Video, posted January 27, 2011.
Eleven-year-old Describes Broken Food System in Five Minutes, CommonDreams.org, Posted September 29, 2010.



Download MOA's brochure here.


Another Bountiful Growing Season is Gearing Up
Most of our farmers are out in the fields, but we're still busy with event planning, publication production and web development. Please bookmark this site and visit again soon for updated information.

We look forward to serving you and welcome any comments, suggestions or ideas on how to make MOA a more effective organization for you.